Obsessive Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

  “They did a good job with the stitch work,” he commented. Flicking his eyes up to mine, he asked, “Is it okay if I touch?” Touch my pussy? Why, go right ahead. “The corset, I mean?”

  “Of course. Thank you for asking first, though.”

  His hand came to rest on my abdomen but then slid around to the back of the corset, where he fingered the crisscrossed strings.

  “Hmm,” he remarked. “This looks and feels like real leather, which could potentially be uncomfortable for the person wearing it.”

  “You’ve got a point. But I doubt any woman wearing this for her partner would have it on for very long.”

  His gaze once again swept over my body, before his intense, black eyes met mine.

  “You’re absolutely right about that.”

  What I saw in his eyes momentarily took my breath away. Hunger. Wanting. Need. But then it was gone, extinguished as quickly as a small fire.

  “Gayle,” Oden called, speaking in that low but commanding voice again.

  She shuffled down the line to us.

  “Yes?”

  Eyes still on me, Oden said, “I think the prototype Kerenza is modelling should be the centerpiece for the ‘Maybae’ campaign. And she should headline.”

  My eyes widened, but I kept it cool. I’d never headlined a campaign, meaning, I’d never been the model at the center of the theme.

  Gayle nodded in agreement and began to list off small alterations she’d like to see made to the prototype before it was finalized for distribution.

  The shock of being chosen to headline a campaign was just starting to settle when Isobel abruptly stalked off. No one said anything, but we could all tell she was pissed. For the duration of my time at ULC, Isobel had been the main attraction of every single campaign, so this probably felt like a slap in the face to her. I wasn’t going to go running after her, though. This was work, and if our boss told me I was headlining, then I was fucking headlining.

  A few minutes later, the showcase concluded, and we made our way back to the makeshift changing room.

  My head was spinning, both from the news of headlining my very first campaign and from the way Oden had looked at me. Without a doubt, I knew the attraction between us was mutual.

  As soon as the door closed behind us, the tension in the room was thick as smog. Isobel didn’t make eye contact with any of us as she changed back into her clothes.

  Maya and Addy didn’t let the negative vibe stop them from congratulating me.

  “Yassss, honey! Your first headline!” Maya gushed.

  Addy chimed in, “Way to go, Kerenza!”

  Blushing, I accepted hugs from each of them.

  “Thanks, guys. I definitely didn’t see that coming!”

  Our shared bubble of giddiness abruptly popped when Isobel walked over. For a second, she and I stared at each other, me with apprehension and her with an unreadable expression. Then her pretty face broke into a smile, and she gave me an awkward hug.

  “Congratulations, Kerenza. I hope you’re prepared for all the responsibility that comes with headlining a lingerie campaign.”

  I hugged her back stiffly, holding my breath until she released me and left the room.

  Maya and Addy both gave me a look that plainly said, “that girl is nuts.”

  I couldn’t agree more, but I wasn’t about to let her ruin my day. I could now add headlining model to my résumé. And the man I was lusting over wanted me back.

  Best. Day. Ever.

  Later that night, I was still riding a wave of excitement. I decided to call my cousin to share my good news. With her being a model too, I knew she could relate to why this was such a big deal for me.

  A quick glance at the clock showed that it was eight o’clock, which meant it was five o’clock in San Jose, California, where Kelendria lived.

  The phone didn’t even ring twice before she picked up.

  “Hey, cuz!”

  Excitement bubbled up inside me and I couldn’t even bring myself to greet her properly.

  “Guess what, guess what!” I blurted.

  Kelly laughed and asked, “What?”

  “I’m headlining my first campaign in May!” I blurted out.

  She shrieked and screamed so loud, I had to hold the phone away from my ear or risk going deaf.

  When she calmed down, I resituated the phone against my ear, just in time to hear a deep voice say, “What are you in here screaming about babe?”

  I chuckled. “Tell Jase I said what’s up.”

  Kelly relayed the message, and they giggled and talked amongst themselves for a few seconds. I shook my head. Even after a year of being together, they were still head over heels in love. Probably something to do with the fact that Jase was fucking the shit out of my cousin every chance he got, according to our weekly girl chats.

  My mind drifted to the man I would like to be tangled up in the sheets with. Normally, I would lay it all on the table, make my interest known. I was a grown-ass woman, after all. But…he worked with me. More than that, he was my direct boss.

  Maybe my cousin could give me some advice. She and Jase had first met as co-models while shooting a catalogue for a BWWM boxed set.

  “Hey, I have a question,” I began, then added, “for both of you.”

  “Both of us?” Kelly queried.

  “Yep. So put me on speaker.”

  Kelly quickly said, “Okay, you’re on.”

  “What’s up?” Jase asked.

  “Don’t judge me, but, I’m crushing super hard on my new boss,” I revealed. It felt liberating to say it out loud to someone else. “I wanna to make a move, but I don’t know about mixing work with pleasure. Any advice for me since you guys met at work?”

  There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line. Eventually, Jase spoke first.

  “If you want my honest opinion, I say go for it. Life is too short, and we have no control over where we meet people.”

  “Very true,” Kelly agreed. “Plus, you never know, he might be feeling the same way and just be too scared to act on his feelings.”

  “Gee, why does that sound so familiar?” Jase asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  I knew all too well how scared and closed off to her feelings Kelendria had been. I was the one who had to sit on the phone with her for hours and listen, after all.

  “Oh, hush,” Kelly admonished, but the adoration in her voice was unmissable. “But Jase is right. Go for it. Shoot yo’ shot, girl!”

  The three of us laughed in unison.

  I chatted with Kelly for a bit longer, promising to come out West and visit she and Jase real soon, then ended the call and got ready for bed.

  As I lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, my mind drifted to Oden. Was he thinking about me right now? Did he want me even half as badly as I wanted him?

  7

  Oden

  At last, the concept for the ‘Maybae’ lingerie collection was finalized. It had taken me longer than usual to come up with a unique theme, but that wasn’t an attestation of my work skills. It was more so a reflection of how distracted I was every time I was within a hundred yards of Kerenza Towers.

  With the concept firmly in place, I’d assigned the necessary tasks to those in my department, which included: ordering backdrops, props and furniture, booking hair and makeup artists, and of course, getting the prototypes finalized for the shoots.

  It would take at least two weeks for all of that to get done, which meant I had some breathing room. Only, I couldn’t breathe, not when the woman who invaded my every waking thought—not to mention my dreams—was still not mine.

  As if I’d summoned her, Kerenza entered the office suite that housed the marketing department. The first thing I noticed about her was her legs. She had them out today, wearing an extremely short yellow skirt that flattered her skin color. Her calves were toned and muscled, flexing as she walked in her tall, black heels. She was heading towards the back of the room, where the copiers were.


  Standing, I buttoned my jacket and walked in the same direction. My stride was longer, so I easily caught up to her, taking a moment to admire her shapely ass, before making my presence known.

  “Kerenza.”

  Stopping a few feet away from the copier, she turned around. A smile graced her pretty face.

  “Oh, hi, Oden.”

  “How are you today?” I asked, though there was another, more urgent question burning in my throat.

  She didn’t answer right away; instead, her eyes swept the immediate area. I could have told her we were alone back here. Even the nearest cubicles, hundreds of feet away, were empty since it was lunchtime and most of our department staff had run out to eat.

  “Good, thanks,” she eventually replied.

  Silence fell over us. Then, we both spoke at the same time.

  “This is going to sound kind of crazy,” Kerenza said at the same time I asked, “Are you single?”

  Our worlds clashed together.

  She chuckled lightly, momentarily distracted, but I was too curious to hear what she’d been about to say.

  “What’s going to sound kind of crazy?”

  “Nothing…nothing.” She shook her head, almost to herself. “And to answer your question, yes, I’m single. Why do you ask?”

  I adjusted my stance and lodged my hands in my pants pockets. Finally, it was time to make my move.

  “Actually, the question I’d really like to ask, is, will you go on a date with me?”

  Her eyes widened, a gleam of surprise shining in them. Then she was smiling again, those adorable yet sexy dimples on display.

  “I’d love to. Tomorrow?”

  I was thinking more like tonight, but I had to remember this woman was my endgame, not a short rendezvous. Patience and properly laying the pipe, when the time came, would get me everything I wanted.

  “That’s perfect. Here, take my phone number.”

  I waited until she pulled out her phone before rattling it off. She texted me right then and there so I could save her number.

  I could hardly keep the smile off my face for the rest of the day.

  One step closer. I was one step closer to claiming Kerenza Towers’ heart and body.

  Friday, the day of our date, finally rolled around.

  If Kerenza had found it awkward to be around me the following day at work, she did a damn good job of hiding it. But something told me she hadn’t. Actually, I knew she didn’t. I could feel the waves of attraction vibrating off her every time we were in close proximity to one another. Our desire was mutual, but I wanted to show her there could be more to it than that. Sex was what opened the doors, but romance and mental stimulation were what kept them open. Which was why I’d taken the liberty of planning an epic first date for her.

  At four forty-five, I wrapped up our end-of-the-day meeting and wished all my staff a great weekend. After that, the office suite cleared out in record timing. I headed back to my office to pack up, when a melodic voice called out, stopping me in my tracks.

  “Oden?”

  I walked toward Kerenza, taking slow, measured steps. I constantly had to remind myself not to be too eager or come on so strong that I might scare her away.

  “I was just thinking about you,” I said by way of greeting. True, I’d worked in the same room with her for the past almost nine hours, but I hadn’t talked directly to her all day.

  As she propped a hand on her shapely hip, a grin appeared on her face, bringing out those dimples.

  “Oh, really? And what were you thinking?”

  I kept my eyes trained on hers, despite wanting to let them roam all over the work of art known as Kerenza’s body.

  “I can show you better than I can tell you.” Her eyebrows flew up, prompting me to add, “Which you’ll see on our date. What time should I pick you up?”

  She shook her head.

  “I can just meet you—”

  “That’ll ruin the surprise of the date,” I interjected smoothly. “So, what time should I pick you up?”

  I was being a bit assertive, I realized, but women secretly loved that. Alpha men like me could personally attest to it.

  “Seven. You can pick me up at seven. I’ll text you my address.”

  “Perfect.”

  She turned to go, but stopped. “Wait. You said it’s a surprise… Does this surprise require a certain dress attire?”

  I chuckled. “You’re a model. You quite literally look gorgeous in anything.”

  Smiling shyly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, something I noticed she did often.

  “Well, I’ll see you later.”

  “Yes, you will,” I called.

  I watched her walk away, engaging in a battle with my dick , willing it not to get hard.

  I lost.

  We arrived in downtown Pittsburgh at half past seven. Instead of letting the driver open Kerenza’s door, I rushed out to get it. She smiled graciously before accepting my hand and letting me help her out of the Audi. For the second time tonight, I was blown away by her dress. Once again, she was wearing yellow. I honestly believed the color yellow had been created just for African American women, because no other race of women looked as good in it as they did. Melanin and yellow went together perfectly.

  The valet held the door for us as we entered the restaurant. We didn’t have to wait at all, as I’d made reservations. The hostess promptly led us through the semi-crowded restaurant and over to an elevator. As we made our ascent she engaged Kerenza in idle chit chat, talking about womanly things like shoes and perfume.

  Several minutes later, the three of us stepped off the car and onto the roof. Normally, this restaurant offered rooftop dining to all of its customers, but I’d put in a call and reserved it just for Kerenza and me. Not only that, instead of the standard, instrumental music they usually played, I’d hired the Bill Henry Band to come play for us. If you were from the Pittsburgh area, or had ever visited the area, then you knew precisely how epic this band was.

  Kerenza looked around and gasped.

  “Oh, my goodness, is-is that the Bill Henry Band?”

  “Indeed it is.”

  The hostess walked ahead, leading the way to the lone table on the rooftop. I’d requested all of the others be cleared away for tonight. Interlocking my hand with Kerenza’s, I gently pulled, prompting her to stop staring around in awe and follow me to the table.

  Having beat us there, the hostess took the liberty of pouring us both a glass of the red wine that was waiting on the table.

  “Annaliese will be your personal waitress for the evening and will be up momentarily. Have a great evening.”

  I thanked her as I pulled out Kerenza’s chair before taking up my own seat.

  On cue, the band started playing a smooth jazz-type of song. They were set up far enough away, on the other side of the roof, that the volume was just right; not too loud or too low.

  “Wow,” Kerenza said, sighing deeply.

  “What? Too much for a first date?”

  Shaking her head, she replied, “It’s actually perfect.”

  Her compliment made my insides go warm. Making my woman happy meant a lot to an alpha like me, simply because it was my job—a job I took as seriously as the one that paid me over six figures.

  Smiling, I picked up the wineglass in front of me, prompting Kerenza to do the same.

  “What should we toast to?” she queried.

  “To…getting what we want.” Which in my case meant her.

  Tonight was going to be a great night. I could feel it.

  8

  Kerenza

  I was now convinced that for the entirety of my adult life, I’d been doing the whole dating thing completely wrong.

  How could only one date with Oden Matthews have me feeling like this?

  I honestly didn’t know, but what I did know was that my lust had somehow—without me realizing it—morphed into a genuine attraction to Oden. I liked him. Like, actually li
ked him.

  Dinner, which consisted of a four-course Italian-style meal, had been amazing, the conversation flowing as frequently and easily as the wine did. And the band, oh, goodness the band. The music had set the ambiance, and beyond that, the talent was just off the charts.

  Oden laughed at a joke I made about work, and I took the opportunity to stare at him. His face right now, unguarded, looked different than it usually did. Gone was the serious, intense set in his eyes and jawline. His smile was boyish and endearing.

  I gawked at him for so long, I zoned out, causing Oden to ask, “What are you thinking about over there?”

  “Oh…just how much I enjoyed myself tonight,” I replied.

  “Well,” he began, removing the napkin from his lap and tossing it down on the table as he stood. “The night isn’t over just yet.”

  He offered his hand, and I gladly accepted it, rising to my feet. No sooner than I had my bearings, Oden spun me in a small, tight circle before pulling me to him.

  “Whoa!” I exclaimed, a surprised smile settling on my face. Despite this being our first date, I found that I was naturally comfortable with Oden. I relaxed in his arms, and together, we moved to the smooth tunes the band was playing.

  My eyes found his and, once again, I saw desire, hunger, and need glimmering in them. But this time, this time I saw something else: possession.

  I had no doubt that Oden Matthews wanted to possess me, to make me his in every way possible. That didn’t scare me. What scared me was the fact that I wanted to let him.

  In the seconds before Oden’s head dipped, and his mouth angled toward mine, I knew the kiss was coming, and still, still I wasn’t ready for the intensity of it.

  Our mouths connected and everything—the music, the cool spring breeze blowing about, the racing of my heart—all faded away. In my eagerness to show Oden just how much I desired him, I took control of the kiss, channeling every ounce of passion I felt. But that didn’t last long. Oden’s hand came up, cupping the side of my face as he leaned into the kiss, establishing dominance as he proceeded to fucking devour my mouth. And all I could do was stand there and hold on tight for the ride.